How to Switch Between Twitch and YouTube in bilistream Configuration

Change the Platform field in config.yaml to "Twitch", "Youtube", or "YoutubePreviewLive" and restart the application to instantly switch the upstream livestream source.

bilistream is a Rust-based relay tool that forwards livestreams from external platforms to Bilibili. According to the limitcool/bilistream source code, the application determines which upstream service to pull from based on the Platform string value in your configuration file, requiring no code modifications to switch sources.

How Platform Selection Works in bilistream

When bilistream starts, it loads config.yaml via config::load_config() defined in [src/config.rs](https://github.com/limitcool/bilistream/blob/main/src/config.rs). The parsed Config struct contains a platform: String member (lines 15‑16) that stores your selected upstream service.

The platform selection logic resides in [src/plugins/live.rs](https://github.com/limitcool/bilistream/blob/main/src/plugins/live.rs) within the select_live function. This function matches the configuration string against supported platform identifiers:

match cfg.platform.as_str() {
    "Youtube" => Ok(Box::new(Youtube::new(...))),
    "Twitch"  => Ok(Box::new(Twitch::new(...))),
    "YoutubePreviewLive" => { … },
    _ => Err("unknown platform".into()),
}

• If Platform = "Twitch" → Constructs a Twitch object from [src/plugins/twitch.rs](https://github.com/limitcool/bilistream/blob/main/src/plugins/twitch.rs).
• If Platform = "Youtube" → Constructs a Youtube object from [src/plugins/youtube.rs](https://github.com/limitcool/bilistream/blob/main/src/plugins/youtube.rs).
• If Platform = "YoutubePreviewLive" → Resolves the upcoming live ID before creating a Youtube instance.

The BiliLive configuration section remains unchanged regardless of platform selection, as it always provides the Bilibili push credentials.

Platform-Specific Configuration Requirements

Each platform requires distinct configuration fields in config.yaml.

Twitch Configuration

When switching to Twitch, you must provide the channel identifier:

• Twitch.Room: The Twitch channel name or ID (e.g., maximilian_dood).

YouTube Configuration

YouTube requires API authentication to fetch stream data:

• Youtube.Room: The YouTube channel ID or livestream ID.
• Youtube.AccessToken: A valid YouTube Data API access token.

YouTubePreviewLive Configuration

This mode automatically detects upcoming scheduled livestreams:

• YoutubePreviewLive.ChannelId: The YouTube channel ID to monitor for upcoming broadcasts.

Configuration Examples

Switching to Twitch

Set Platform to "Twitch" and define the Twitch.Room field:

# config.yaml

Interval: 60
Platform: Twitch          # <-- Set to Twitch

BiliLive:
  SESSDATA: <your-sessdata>
  bili_jct: <your-bili-jct>
  DedeUserID: 2235894
  DedeUserID__ckMd5: <hash>
  Room: 660428
  BiliRtmpUrl: rtmp://live-push.bilivideo.com/live-bvc/
  BiliRtmpKey: "?streamname=..."
Twitch:
  Room: maximilian_dood   # <-- Twitch channel name/ID

Youtube:
  Room: UC1zFJrfEKvCixhsjNSb1toQ
  AccessToken: <youtube-token>

After editing, restart the container or binary. The select_live function will match "Twitch" and pull from the Twitch API.

Switching to YouTube

Set Platform to "Youtube" and ensure both YouTube fields are populated:

# config.yaml

Interval: 60
Platform: Youtube         # <-- Set to Youtube

BiliLive:
  # (Bilibili credentials unchanged)

Twitch:
  Room:                     # Leave empty or remove

Youtube:
  Room: UC1zFJrfEKvCixhsjNSb1toQ   # YouTube channel or live ID

  AccessToken: <youtube-token>     # Valid API token

The Youtube plugin will now fetch the live URL via yt-dlp as implemented in src/plugins/youtube.rs.

Switching to YouTubePreviewLive

For channels with scheduled upcoming streams, use the preview mode:

Platform: YoutubePreviewLive
YoutubePreviewLive:
  ChannelId: UC1zFJrfEKvCixhsjNSb1toQ

This triggers get_live_id_by_jump to resolve the upcoming live ID before initializing the stream grabber.

Key Source Files

Understanding these files helps clarify how bilistream handles platform switching:

• src/config.rs: Defines the Config struct and the load_config() function that deserializes config.yaml.
• src/plugins/live.rs: Contains the select_live selector that instantiates the appropriate platform plugin based on the Platform string.
• src/plugins/twitch.rs: Implements the Live trait for Twitch, including status checks and stream URL extraction via the Twitch API.
• src/plugins/youtube.rs: Implements the Live trait for YouTube, handling token-based API calls and yt-dlp extraction.

Summary

• Modify the Platform field in config.yaml to switch sources instantly without rebuilding the binary.
• Valid values are "Twitch", "Youtube", or "YoutubePreviewLive" (case-sensitive as implemented in src/plugins/live.rs).
• Twitch only requires Twitch.Room, while YouTube requires both Youtube.Room and Youtube.AccessToken.
• The BiliLive section remains constant across all platform configurations.
• Restart the application after modifying config.yaml to reload the configuration via config::load_config().

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the exact valid values for the Platform field in bilistream?

The Platform field accepts three case-sensitive string values as defined in src/plugins/live.rs: "Twitch", "Youtube", or "YoutubePreviewLive". Any other value results in an "unknown platform" error. The match statement in the select_live function uses these exact strings to determine which plugin struct to instantiate.

Do I need to restart bilistream after changing the Platform setting?

Yes, you must restart the bilistream container or binary after editing config.yaml. The configuration is loaded once at startup via config::load_config() in src/config.rs. The application does not watch for file changes or hot-reload the configuration during runtime.

Why does YouTube require an AccessToken while Twitch does not?

The YouTube implementation in src/plugins/youtube.rs uses the YouTube Data API to resolve livestream URLs and metadata, which requires OAuth 2.0 authentication via the AccessToken. Conversely, the Twitch implementation in src/plugins/twitch.rs uses public API endpoints or yt-dlp extraction methods that do not require user authentication tokens, only a channel identifier (Twitch.Room).

What is the difference between Youtube and YoutubePreviewLive platforms?

"Youtube" connects to an active livestream specified by Youtube.Room (a specific live ID or channel currently streaming). "YoutubePreviewLive" uses YoutubePreviewLive.ChannelId to query a channel's upcoming scheduled broadcasts via get_live_id_by_jump, automatically resolving and connecting to the next scheduled livestream before it starts. Use the former for active streams and the latter for scheduled premieres or upcoming events.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}